Us Against the World
by Irena Goddess of Imagination
Summary: Sophie accepts the dangerous life as the Joker's wife/partner in crime. But is it possible to love him and still keep her morals? Can she protect her husband at all costs without destroying innocent lives? Later chapters will contain scenes from "Saviors and Hellion Smiles" by Harlequin Sequins. Rating may change to M.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

"He's beautiful."

I can't believe I just said that... and out loud. Well, no one seemed to hear me, anyway, or else I'd be screwed. I was surrounded by cops who didn't know I was there. I wanted to keep my cover.

I glanced at that man's face in the picture from the security cameras again. I had heard of him before, studied his patterns of behavior (which had been challenging to actually find a pattern), and met with people who had encountered him, but this was the first time I had actually seen him.

"What's he hiding under that makeup?" Lieutenant asked rhetorically.

 _I don't know, maybe his_ identity _,_ I thought. Though I could find out his identity quite easily.

Let me tell you, I'd seen guys wearing makeup before, but nothing like this. It was like he was going for some kind of grotesque clown look.

And why did I call him 'beautiful'? 'Cause I'm a _craaaaa_ zy bitch.

Focus, Sophie! You're not here to adore the Joker; you're here for an investigation about him, an investigation that involved me going invisible in a bank that he had just robbed. I'm not exactly sure what I wanted to accomplish by studying him, but I knew it would be smart to learn everything I could about him. He was, after all, a dangerous criminal, a possible enemy, or a possible ally. I decided that it was time for me to meet him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I would like to warn in advance that I may not be able to update as often as I would like because I am writing multiple stories at once. And for those of you who have read my Thor fiction "The Wrath of the Bride of Loki," Sophie is a variation of my character, Stella. Thank you for reading and enjoy the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

I thought the Joker had a lot of nerve walking right into the kitchen full of all the mob dudes he stole from, but I had even more nerve to then go meet him after the kitchen had been emptied.

Now, the Batman has his mask, the Joker has his makeup, but _I_ have my illusions.

Ever since I was a teenager, I've had these, uh, talents. My ability to cast illusions into people's minds is just one of them. I don't really know where they came from, I just had these powers one day. Maybe it's a gift from God, or maybe I'm some kind of demon spawn. Maybe I'm the long lost child of Professor X and Storm.

No matter the reason, my powers have helped make me who I am, and I was going to use them in my meeting with the Joker.

With my illusions, I can make myself appear as anything I want. I keep my identity a secret this way, changing my face all the time. (Sometimes I like to change my hair to pink like Tonks.) However, this time, I wanted the Joker to see my real face.

I stepped up behind him and politely said, "Hello."

He then greeted my with a knife to my throat and shoved my back against the wall.

"Do you always introduce yourself with a knife, or am I special?" I asked with a snarky grin even though his hand was squeezing my neck.

He smiled a little, but did not loosen his grip on me. So, I used lightning to make him let go. Let me explain. Now don't freak out or anything, but one of those "talents" I mentioned earlier is the ability to control the weather, which includes being able to absorb electricity into my body.

I released some of that electricity on the Joker, making him stumble back a little bit. Apparently getting shocked by lightning was funny to him because he was laughing.

"Is something funny?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I think you're a long way gone from the Pride Parade," he said, gesturing to the rainbow cloak I wore.

"Said the man in the purple and green suit."

He gave tugged at the lapels of his suit and gave a bit of a shrug. And I made an attempt to peek into his mind. See, I wasn't kidding when I said I was like a child of Professor X.

For me to get a full reading on his mind, I would have to touch his skin. After getting a little glimpse, I wanted to see more, though not all at once. All at once might drive me to insanity, well even more insanity than I have now.

In that little glimpse, I found something very potent, everything in disarray, something chaotic. I thought it best to leave his mind alone for now, as to not provoke the beast within. "Let me cut to the chase here: it's my understanding that you're seeking a certain masked vigilante in the form of a flying mammal."

He raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Wouldn't it be easy to vanquish the Batman if you knew who he was under that mask?"

He made no response, but instead, stared me down and licked his lips, circling me like a predator would before a kill. I knew he wanted me to keep speaking so he could scrutinize me, see if I was worthy to live or more useful to him dead.

"I could easily find out. All I have to do is touch him. maybe even less. I'd just have to get close to him like I did to you...Mr. Napier."

His eyes lit up like fire. He gave me no chance, no time before he struck. I dodged his knife by inches and used an illusion of invisibility over myself.

He gave a puzzled look and scanned the room for something else he could use as a weapon. He slowly made his way over to one of the stoves in the kitchen and turned on the gas, letting it fill the air. He then smashed off the switch so I couldn't turn it off.

"Clever," I said. He stood in front of the only door out of the kitchen. Now stunning him wasn't an option. I was afraid the lightning might spark a flame in all the gas.

The smell of the gas was becoming noticeable and I had to do something fast before we both passed out... something fun.

I created a vivid, detailed illusion in his mind. The kitchen transformed into a rainforest. He seemed a bit surprised, but not as much as most people when they see these visions. Perhaps hallucinating was normal for him. "We can escape this place. We can go anywhere we want." I then changed the jungle scene into lavish hotel room. While he was distracted, I hurriedly pulled a small knife from his pocket.

"Good trick. Why don't I show you some of mine?" Apparently, by "trick" he meant "knife" because he threw one at me, and I was able to dodge it.

I threw the knife I had right back at him. He dodged: exactly what I wanted him to do. He had to move out of the way of the door, which I slipped through to breath the untainted air on the other side.

The Joker said "Like a little cat and mouse game!" as he followed me out of the kitchen. He burst into laughter and pulled out a gun, but before he could raise it, I threw more lightning at him, a more damaging amount this time. He stumbled a bit at leaned on the wall for support. I snatched another knife from him.

I stabbed him in his side with his own knife, but just barely deep enough to do any lasting damage. "So what are you going to do? There's a 500 thousand dollar reward for your head. What am I going to do? I could collect that money myself if I just put this knife a little deeper."

"You ask a lot of questions. I like to just live in _heat_ of the moment." He quickly waved a lighter from his pocket and threw the tiny flame into the room full of gas.

We were knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, but were otherwise unharmed. I had pulled in snowy air from outside instantly after the explosion knocked down a wall. See? I told you I was like Storm.

And Jesus! He's as crazy as they say. I certainly did not expect that, but I quickly learned that with the Joker, you must expect the unexpected. And I decided to throw the unexpected right back at him. A chessboard lying on the floor caught my eye.

"Mr. Napier, would you like to play chess?" I've learned that one of the best ways to study a person is to play chess with that person.

"Sure, we've got time. The building's only crashing in flames around us," he replied.

"We'll be quick. And I can help with the fire part." I made the rain patter down on what was left on the roof.

We sat down and set up the board. He made the first move. Although many of his moves were hasty, he still caught a good portion of my long thought-out tricks before I could execute them. I noticed how he was unafraid to sacrifice certain pieces to achieve a greater goal.

Though I swear that I did not once use my mind reading abilities against him during the game, I was the first to call "check." He quickly moved his king to safety.

Finally, when we decided there was too much rubble falling around us, we left. We tried to squeeze in a few last moves and cut the time close when we escaped the building. Unfortunately, a piece of the ceiling fell on top of the chessboard and we were unable to save it.

"Well that was fun. _Hasta luego_ ," I said. And I disappeared from his sight with an illusion. We never finished the game.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: WARNING: Some contents of the chapter are a little M rated-ish, so I'm debating whether or not I should rate the story T or M. If you would like to weigh in your opinion on it, feel free. Thanks for reading, everyone!**

* * *

If I can stop one heart from breaking,  
I shall not live in vain;  
If I can ease one life the aching,  
Or cool one pain,  
Or help one fainting robin  
Unto his nest again,  
I shall not live in vain.

"If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking" by Emily Dickinson

* * *

I was getting annoyed with all those stupid Harvey Dent campaigns. Even without reading his mind, Harvey Dent seemed like a vain, arrogant false idol. Even worse was his trophy wife/first lady personality of a girlfriend. Everything about them just seemed so... fake. I tired to distract myself from those thoughts as I made my way to one of the classier bars in town. I was a regular there (never actually drinking anything), but no one knew it because I changed my appearance every time. Today, I was blonde, but I couldn't change my eye color because they always turn gold when I use my power, though people didn't usually think much about it if they ever noticed.

I sensed something out of the ordinary in one person's mind. A young, attractive man and a young woman sat at the bar. I went over to sit by her.

"I want whatever she's having," I told the bartender. "Can I have roofies in mine, too? No, I guess I'll have to ask her date for some," I said loudly enough for those around me to hear.

"What's your problem, lady?" asked the man.

I stood up. "My problem is: you're planning to rape this girl as soon as you're somewhere private."

The man stood up and faced me. "Why don't you just mind your own business? I don't know what the Hell you're talking about."

"Really? Then what are these?" I asked, pulling more pills out of his coat pocket.

"Jake," the girl said to the guy with obvious hurt and betrayal on her face.

"Just stay out of this, Linda!" he said.

"Listen, Macho Man, I think this is her business more than anyone's, so-"

He cut me off by shoving me away.

"Oh," was all I said before I grabbed him and smacked his forehead against a table.

Right when I was expecting, some guys pulled us away from each other.

I didn't struggle against them, so they let me go when I was a few feet away from the guy. He stood up and had a huge red mark on his face. _I hope it leaves any ugly scar_ , I thought.

And then the whole room with filled with applause. Holy shit.

"You need to make smarter decisions and stop hanging with creeps like this," I said to the girl then took my leave.

I had to admit, I was a little proud of myself, and I really hoped that girl would be okay. I also hoped it sent a message to all the other guys in the room not to get any ideas like dear old Jake back there. That's pretty much the only reason why I go to that bar. Not just to save girls from creeps like that, but because that place is a cesspool for all kinds of crime. Jake was pretty lucky; I usually don't let people like him live.

This time, I couldn't kill him because there were tons of witnesses, and because I couldn't reveal my power to any of them. I know if we had gotten into a physical fight without my powers, I would've lost. I mean, I'm pretty small. The only reason I was able to hit his head on the table was because he wasn't expecting it.

I walked and wandered through the city, half hoping I would see the clown again. I wanted to meet him purely for the reason that I knew it would piss him off to see me again. Okay, I actually wanted to see him because I was fascinated by him. I admit I am attracted to unique minds, and Napier's was the most extraordinary I had found by far.

I guess it was my lucky day.

I saw a flash of purple and green. Oh my God, what is he doing? Is he getting into a body bag? Oh, I get it. He's playing dead. Brilliant! When he and his henchmen went inside, I went neared the building for a closer look. I pulled my rainbow cloak out of my purse and put it on over my clothes.

I tuned in to the minds inside. This allowed me to get a picture of what was happening in there. As I waited outside, I could only hear bits and pieces of conversation.

"They say they've just killed the Joker."

No.

"You wanna know how I got these scars?"

Yes.

Oh my God, he killed Gambol. I knew this because I sensed one less mind in the room. Good riddance! Does this mean Napier gets a million dollars for turning in himself? Though, something told me he didn't care much for money.

While his henchmen were having "tryouts" as he called them, I gave Jack the pleasant surprise of seeing my face again. When he stepped outside, I said, "Heeeey, Jack!" aiming for as much annoyance as possible.

"Well aren't you just a little cockroach, you just keep coming back."

"Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be in the neighborhood?"

I never got an answer. Then I sensed another mind near us, one full of malice. I looked over Jack's shoulder to see a man raising a gun in our direction. I shoved Jack out of the way so we both ran into the wall. Without a second thought, I pulled lightning from the sky directly onto the man. He was fried and dropped dead instantly.

Napier watched me as I went over to the body. "He was aiming for you. He wanted to kill you for the reward," I said.

"Too little, too late," he said to the corpse with a chuckle.

I checked the man's pockets and found his wallet. There were no pictures in it, so probably no loved ones to miss him, but I couldn't read his mind and find out now. I took the little cash he had. He sure didn't need it anymore.

"Maybe we should go inside," I said.

The Hunger Games tryouts were over and the room was full of bodies. The victor stood tall and proud.

"Congratulations!" said Jack, "You're the last one standing."

The victor had a little smile, happy to be alive.

Then Jack blew his brains out.

"Why would you have them fight each other for the job position and then kill the winner?" I asked Jack.

"I said there was one spot open, didn't I?"

"Oh, you mean me. Well if that's the case, you should've let me kill the guy myself."

"If you insist." Then he hit me across the face.

Normally, I would've _at least_ struck him with lightning at this. If it had been anyone else, I would've felt murderous at this insult. But not with him.

See, I knew he hadn't hit me to hurt me. He wasn't trying to take dominance over me.

He was challenging me.

This was a test. This was him sizing me up, waiting to see my reaction. This was his way of saying, "I know you can do better. Show me you can do better."

I eyed him and gave half a grin. He had the weapons. I had the powers.

Let's see which is better.

He pulled out a gun, but I zapped his hand with lightning before he could even aim, causing the gun to drop out of his hand.

"Good, now we can do this the fun, slow way," he said. He pulled a knife from his coat.

I tried not to let my chuckles distract me too much. He lunged at me with the knife, and I spun around with the wind assisting me out of his range. I threw another small bit of lightning at him, which he quickly dodged.

We took turns like this for a few minutes, equal matches for each other. And then he pulled out another gun. Of course, I had oh-so-conveniently used all the lightning I had stored in my body like a battery. I could've pulled lightning from the sky, but that is lightning in its raw form. Bigger, bulkier, harder to control, and a little too lethal for this situation. I would have to use some other means of defending myself. So, used my favorite thing: trickery.

I created an illusion of myself while I was actually creeping beside him. My illusion threw imaginary lightning at him, which he dodged, giving me a moment's distraction to take a knife from him and press it against his throat. I immediately pulled his free hand behind his back as a revealed myself from the illusion. It would've been safer to just take the gun from him, but I wanted to make him admit defeat.

"Drop it," I said sternly twice.

But the Joker was not one to give up easily. I liked that.

He made the daring move to try to aim the gun at my face, which was right beside his. I was forced to duck, but still kept the knife in hand. With the arm I had behind his back, he pulled me to face him. Through a window I formed a small cyclone around us, which pulled us apart, and I used an illusion of invisibility over myself to make him lose track of me.

I pushed the wind to knock him off his feet. I would only have a moment before he was back up, so I stepped on the hand with the gun. But he pulled me down so I landed right next to him. It hurt, but I laughed.

"Let's call it a draw, shall we?"

"Allies?" I asked, extending my hand for a shake. He took it. "Does this mean we can exchange phone numbers?" I asked.

With some reluctance on his part, we did.

"I'm sorry; I haven't introduced myself. I'm Sophie, known professionally as 'Iris.'" I shook his hand. "And I want to make it clear that accept this position only as your equal partner, not your worker," I asserted.

"Sure, whatever you want. Just keep using those pretty little powers of yours and you can be my ace."

"Aww, you think I'm pretty?" I said with sickening false sweetness.

"A stunning specimen," he said with equally fake politeness.

"I just have one question, though: how did you get your scars?" I knew that was the first time anyone had asked him that question.

He brushed his hair back, licked his lips, and smiled a sadistic smile. In preparation for the story, he tossed his knife in the air a few times.

"It was just me and Mom growing up. I guess Daddy didn't want to stick around. And when my mother got sick, I thought I should do something for her for after all she had done for me. I had to do something, or we would've lost our home. So, in my desperation, I went to the nearest mob dealer for work. After doing a few small jobs for him, he thought I was ready to take on robbing a drugstore. Except when I got there, I accidentally set of the alarms, and came back empty-handed. That made my boss very unhappy. So he cut up my face as punishment. When I went home, the cops were waiting for me so they could arrest me and tell me that my mother was dead. She died after she found out what I did. She was so ashamed, and her poor, old heart couldn't take it."

"Interesting story," Even though I knew it as all total bullshit, "Do you want to hear mine?

My mother always said I was lucky to have her. She said I couldn't survive without her."

Sophie changed her voice to a nasally drone. "'You're too lazy, Sophie.'

'All those straight-A's and you can't even to remember when I tell you to sweep the floor.'

'Maybe if you stopped acting like a third grader people'd wanna listen to you'"

And she returned to her normal voice. "And then, the week before my eighteenth birthday, Mom cooks me this nice big dinner.

'You don't deserve this,' she said. 'You've never been good to me. I shouldn't do this for you,' she said.

That's when I got the letter telling me I had been accepted into the college of my dreams.

'You're nuts if you think you're goin to college,' Mom said. 'Look at you, you wouldn't last a day."

And she threw my acceptance letter into the fireplace.

Finally, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. Later, I went into my room, and just as I started to make the smallest cut into my wrist, Mom walked in.

'Really?' she said. 'Are you really that big of a baby? Is your poor, little life too rough for you? I work all day to support you, and this is how you thank me?'

And then, something in me snapped."

"Let me guess," Jack cut in, "You killed your mother."

"No. Well, not immediately.

I surprised my mom when she got home from work the one day the next week by turning the kitchen into my own personal torture chamber. I cut off my hair all Mulan style and used the same knife on my mom. With my powers, I could see everything in her head. I learned all her fears and brought them to life. I drew it out for thirty-six hours. The louder she screamed, the harder I laughed. I made her see just how weak she was.

At first, she tried to resist, but she gave up quickly. It wasn't long before I had her begging for mercy, well, when her mouth wasn't taped shut.

See, I learned so much in that week that my mother never meant to teach me. I learned that people are easy to control if you know the right method.

I learned that fear can be a weapon. I learned things I could do with my powers. I learned to eliminate oppressors.

I used my powers to turn suspicion of my mother's murder away from me and I went to college that fall with money I inherited from her."

Sophie pulled up her sleeve, took off her glove, and showed the tiny ridge of raise skin on her wrist. "It's a little scar with a big story."

The Joker, trying to deny that he was impressed by the story, said, "Still, I like mine better."

I couldn't resist; I had to take just another peek into that head.

He is a master mind. It pleased me every time I discovered the new schemes he had devised (though he refused to call them 'schemes'). So simple yet so complex. So sensible but they made no sense at all. I can't describe it, but I loved it. "You're not even thirty years old. You have wisdom beyond your years," I rambled as if entranced. I circled around him. "You're so beautiful. You have no real power, All you have is your mind, but look at all you've done with it. You're mind is your power. You're mind is beautiful."

He ignored my comments and said, "Whaddaya say we catch ourselves a Bat?"

"Get him in my grasp and I'll tell you his life story."

"That's it? Seems awfully _anticlimactic_ , don't you think?"

"Fine, we'll do it your way, but know that if you ever slap me again, I'll cut off your limbs and tongue." I flashed a charming smile.


	4. Bonus Chapter

**Author's Note: This chapter is not part of the actual story. This is just a little mini-story/ teaser for Part II of "Us Against the World." :) Inspired by the "Fake Joker gag" from _Batman: Arkham City_. Enjoy!**

* * *

I heard the Bat arrive outside the abandoned clinic where I was caring for Jack. I had been expecting him for a little while. I actually couldn't believe he hadn't found us sooner. It was even more unbelievable that I had been able to find some old equipment and gotten it working to help Jack.

The dark figured stood in the doorway, standing there like a statue for a moment. His black silhouette was outlined by the light of a streetlamp.

"Just leave him alone," I said as I stood protectively in front of his bed. I raised my hands raised to stun if necessary. "Check for yourself if you don't believe me."

"Out of my way," Batman said.

" _Shh!_ " I snapped, "Don't wake him!"

He drew nearer.

"Please, just let him sleep! He's very sick. He's had a fever for days, 102 degrees today."

Jack shifted a bit and I was instantly at his side. His eyes slid slowly open.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" I asked.

"Like a picture of health," he teased with a grin.

"That's good. You're getting better, I promise. Everything's going to be okay." I touched his cheek. "Go back to sleep." And he did.

"I have to keep him on light sedatives, or else I'm afraid he try to move around and hurt himself. You know how stubborn he is," I said, gesturing to his IV bag.

Batman looked down at Jack, hopefully seeing the sweat over his pale skin. Please let him believe me. Please leave Jack alone.

"Why don't you bring him to a hospital?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me? They'd kill him if they found out who he was. A hospital is the worst place for him to be right now."

"I'll help you nurse him back to health on one condition: you turn him in when he's well enough."

"So you're saying you'll let him die if I don't turn him in?"

"No. I'm just saying if you don't, you're on your own."

"You know me. I'll find a way."

Without a final remark, he jumped out the window and vanished into the night.

Batman's proposition was not going to fly by me. There were other ways I could get help for Jack. I just hoped he would be fine when I left him to find help.

* * *

I made sure Jack was comfortable before I left. I set a glass of water, orange juice, and a few items of sick food on a table beside him, along with a bottle of Tylenol just in case he woke up while I was gone. I adjusted his pillows and made sure he had enough blankets like a doting mother.

Making my way through the city, I found the place I was seeking. At first glance, the simple plant nursery seemed completely ordinary. However, I was aware of what lurked underneath the veil of innocence. I went to the room in the back, and met the red-haired woman myself. Dressed in her green garment, with leaves falling off her body, she watered her pots of plants while humming a soft melody.

Pamela, or as she liked to be called, Poison Ivy, waved to me to beckon me closer.

We sat across from each other at a table. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"My husband is ill. He's had fever symptoms for days and he's not getting any better. Do you have anything that could heal him?"

"How sweet," She clasped her hands together, "A woman taking desperate measures to save her lover." She threw her hands in the air excitedly and stood up. She pulled out a few books from a shelf behind her, which revealed a hidden safe. She entered the code and pulled out a little vial of a green liquid. "This should do the trick," she said, "Of course it won't come cheap."

"Of course," I said.

"And don't even think about stealing it. It won't work unless you follow my specific instructions, which I'll give you after I see some green."

Unfortunately, I couldn't find those instructions in her mind. "How much do you want?" I asked.

"Just a little token really: twenty grand."

"I'll have it to you tomorrow. And be warned: If you try to harm my husband in any way while he's as weak as he is now, I'll burn down your plant sanctuary and every tree in the city."

"We're done here."

"Yes we are." And I left to find twenty thousand dollars.

* * *

Finding such a large amount of money would be easy. The hard part was leaving Jack long enough to get it. I returned to him and found that he had not gotten any better while I was gone, but he hadn't gotten any worse, either. I guess that was a reason to be thankful. I kissed his cheek through the surgical mask that covered my face.

I stayed by his side until the evening when I went to an open bank. A simple storm knocked out the power, allowing me to sneak in unseen. The darkness and my illusions together made me totally invisible to everyone. I could have stolen money from the vaults, but that would've required time and equipment that I didn't have. Instead, I simply took from the pockets of the people in the bank, creating little distraction now and then to reach them. I targeted those who looked to be wealthy. A couple hundreds her and here, a few fifties there, and a few trips to the cash registers added up to the necessary twenty thousand.

I swiftly made my way back to Poison Ivy's nursery and watched her count out the money. She handed me the vial. "How do I know you didn't just give me a fake medicine? I asked.

"Oh, I would never do such a thing to a paying customer."

"You know I can tell if you're lying." I searched her thoughts, and no such lies were there to be found. "Thank you."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

She handed me her list of instructions and I couldn't get out of there and back to Jack fast enough.

It seemed that I had gotten back to him not a moment too soon. When I found him, his skin was burning up and I couldn't seem to fully wake him. It was like he was awake, but still caught in a dream somehow. Carefully following Ivy's instructions, I mixed the vial's contents with the right amount of water cooled to the right temperature and helped Jack sit up to drink it.

The effect was instant. I immediately felt his skin cool down to normal and it was like a fog was lifted from his eyes. I looked down at his face, tiny remnants of his makeup still visible. I gave a huge sigh of relief and kissed his forehead. I was happy there, just holding my husband, knowing that was safe with me, and that he would live that much longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING: This chapter is a little graphic. Reader discretion is advised.**

* * *

Despite my "equal partner" status, I mainly worked behind the scenes of the Joker's antics. This was because my skills were of best use in secrecy. I wasn't quite ready to make any public appearances yet. Jack, however, was a glutton for the spotlight. While he frolicked around town with his gunpowder and dynamite, I made all of his shows possible. I gathered information for him: where his targets would be at what time, plans of the police. I also slipped his cards here and there and did the makeup of some of his victims.

This time, I watched as he interrogate one of the many fake Batmen on camera.

That guy Brian in the Batsuit was scared to death. Whatever. I didn't really care. The guy was kind of an asshole.

"Want some cookies?" I asked Jack. "I just felt like baking cookies, but didn't feel like eating them, which is a first for me." I held a platter out to him.

"No! I'm diabetic."

"No you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"Want some cookies?" I asked Brian.

He was just about in tears, but just barely shook his head.

"Where are your manners!" shouted Jack. "When the hostess offers you something to eat, you take it!" He slashed into Brian's collarbone with a knife.

Brian screamed again. The sound was giving me a headache. I shoved the remaining three cookies in my mouth and whacked Brian over the head with the platter. "Shut up! You're annoying me!"

"Whoa! Let's not get too rough here," Jack said to me with condescending sarcasm.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, always keeping my voice cold and unfeeling.

"Do I detect a hint of _sympathy_ in there?" he pointed at me with a knife.

"I still don't know what you're getting at."

"Doesn't your little heart feel sorry for this poor weasel in disguise? There must be some urge to _help_ this _innocent_ creature."

"Innocent? Not exactly."

He seemed to ignore my last comment and said, "Well let me tell something, Dollface: empathy is a joke."

I gave an irritated sigh, "To answer your question, yes, I do have the ability to feel empathy and show kindness, but at my discretion and certainly not for this guy."

"Are you sure there's no little tug at the back of your conscience? That little sting of empathy pulling at your _humanity?_ See, I'm not one of those touchy-feely guys. I just do things as I see fit in the moment."

"That's because there's a decrease in blood flow to the prefrontal cortex of your brain, the rational, thinking part. It's being overpowered by testosterone and adrenaline, making you act impulsively when you're angry."

"Well it seems I've found myself a smart little cookie for a partner. Isn't that swell? So if you don't care, then you won't mind if I sick this knife on Brian over here, will you?" He ripped the glove off one of the guy's hands and began to dig the knife underneath the fingernails, peeling them off the fingers. Brain let out a bloodcurdling scream.

A couple drops of blood splattered on my face. "Ew! Gross! Watch where you aim those blood vessels!" I yelled at Jack.

"I knew it! There's a good, sweet, churchgoing girl inside of that harsh exterior. You pretend to be different, but deep down, you're just like everybody else."

"I see. You think just because I'm a woman that I'm prone to be compassionate. Well, I'm here to tell you that's not necessarily true."

"Well if that's not true," he offered me the knife, " _Then prove it_."

"I don't have anything to prove to you."

"Then I guess you can say goodbye to our little alliance."

"You're trying to manipulate me. You think by threatening to end our relationship, I'll do anything to save it."

"Relationship? _Someone's_ getting ahead of herself. We've only met three times."

I rolled my eyes. "Relationship doesn't always mean romance. I could scarcely dream of it when we've tried to kill each other the first two times."

"That seems like flirting to me."

"Oh yes, _please_ make a move on me with that knife," I said with sarcastic bite. "Besides, you're doing it all wrong." I grabbed Brian's head and stole all the thoughts from his head. I could see all his most prominent memories, fears, hopes, dreams, regrets, pains, and most importantly: weaknesses. I created the illusion of a burning circus all around us, and allowed Jack to see it too so he could understand what I was seeing. I made the scene around us spin to the point of painful dizziness. For a more personal touch, I conjured images from a long string of Brian's ex-girlfriends to torment him. Once again, his screams filled the room.

"Do you want me to make it stop?" I asked him, getting uncomfortably close to his face.

He nodded yes.

"Say 'please.'"

"Please," he half whimpered.

I made the illusion disappear and turned to Jack. "It's not just about the body; it's also about the mind, but you already know that."

I found it ironic that the Joker, while he generally tries to prove the evil in people, tried to prove the humanity in me. It was like he just couldn't believe the fact that there could be someone else like him, like he had been accustomed to being alone for so long that he rejected anything that was at all similar to him. I may be crazy for thinking so, but I can relate to that.

I nodded to Jack wordlessly and made my departure.


	6. Chapter 6

From childhood's hour I have not been  
As others were; I have not seen  
As others saw; I could not bring  
My passions from a common spring.  
From the same source I have not taken  
My sorrow; I could not awaken  
My heart to joy at the same tone;  
And all I loved, I loved alone.

from "Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe

* * *

The next few times I met with the Joker, we managed not getting into philosophical arguments or trying to kill each other. Everything was good. I could honestly say that I was enjoying myself. Now that I had established that I was not going to let him push me around like he was used to doing with people, we had begun to actually enjoy each others company, even respect each other. Although, I overheard in his thoughts that he had considered killing me a couple of times. I understood; I would too if I was him. Why he decided not to, I do not know, but it's not like he could kill me if he tried, anyway.

I was spending the evening in my little apartment, which I somehow managed to keep with the money I took from those I killed an odd jobs I had taken. I was at the top of my class when studying psychology due to my little gifts, but was no good at the job field of psychology since I was always too aggressive when dealing with coworkers and patients. I didn't like having all those thoughts in my head at one time, either. It was also hard to hold down any steady job when I had a double life to live, but I got by. It also helped me that I followed the wise words of Eddie Murphy: "Kill my landlord." No one noticed when my landlord suddenly went missing; I guess everyone hated him as much as I did.

As it was getting late, I decided to end the little jam session I was having with _The Phantom of the Opera_ soundtrack and go to bed.

That night I dreamt of a place full of dim candles. I could hear _The Phantom of the Opera_ playing quietly in the background. I turned to my side and saw Jack standing beside me. He was wearing a Phantom mask that covered his scars. It was painted with a clown smile.

He held a long, glistening knife, but did not threaten me with it. Instead he came up behind me and ran his hands slowly over my shoulders. I neither invited nor shied away from these gestures. I merely observed. Since I was not rejecting him, Jack pressed his face into my hair and neck and I felt him lean up against my back. He held my hands and faced me. He said nothing, but he took off his mask and gave me a twisted grin. I didn't get to see what he did next, though, because then something pulled me out of sleep.

I hadn't seemed like I was in bed for very long when I heard noise outside the bedroom. The door into the apartment was opening, slowly and carefully, as if someone was trying, unsuccessfully, to open it quietly. I got out of bed and got my knife.

The knife was probably unnecessary with my powers, but I couldn't be too careful. I crept out noiselessly from my room and watched my back for an intruder. I saw no such intruder to be found, and then I came to the living room.

He nearly gave me a heart attack just by being there. I covered my mouth to keep myself from shouting in surprise when I saw that he was asleep on the sofa.

"Dammit, Jack," I said, setting down the knife. He was clutching a grenade in his sleep; his fingers lingered dangerously close to the pin. I gently slipped it out of his hand without waking him. "What would you do without me," I said, half jokingly, half seriously. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Jack had come to my apartment a few times before, usually at odd hours of the night like this. Really this last visit shouldn't have been much of a surprise.

Wishing to make him comfortable, I took the quilt from the sofa and spread it over him. It's just what any decent person would do, right? He's a guest in my home. It's totally normal to cover up someone who's cold. I was just being polite ... that's it, right? Never mind, let's think of something else, something like going back to bed.

Wait, what if Jack is uncomfortable lying on top of his knives and various other weapons that were undoubtedly in his pockets? _No._ He's fine. Just go to bed.

I looked at my phone beside my bed. I looked at the text I had missed while it was on silent. _'Need a place to crash. Can I come by your place?'_ from Jack.

I guessed he couldn't wait for an answer, but he wasn't exaggerating about the crashing part- he looked like he didn't even have time to take his coat off before sleep had claimed him. I was glad he was in my home when it had.

In the morning, I made extra coffee for Jack. I know he likes his black (the crazy bastard), but I like to add a little sugar.

"You got your makeup on the couch again," I said.

"Sorry I didn't have time to wash my face before I blacked out," he retorted.

"What were you even doing that made you need to come here?"

He stared in to space briefly then smiled, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by for a visit."

I chuckled softly. "A visit at three in the morning."

Jack stood up with care. He moved as if he was sore, but made no sounds of pain. He went into the bathroom for a little while, and came out with fresh makeup.

"That better not be _my_ lipstick," I warned.

"Why not? You don't need it."

"Yes, I know I can just create an illusion of lipstick, but it's much easier to actually put on makeup for my disguises than to have to remember to keep up the illusion."

"No, I mean what would a pretty girl like you need with it," he said jokingly.

I rolled my eyes. Wait. Oh my God. He meant it. As I read him, I knew how he saw me, not the freak most everyone else sees in me, but beauty. The concept of beauty was new to him, usually only reserved for inanimate things, violent things and concepts: fire, chaos, laughter. I was something totally fresh to him, something he from which he gained pleasure. I liked the feeling.

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Damn him for being so flattering. If any other man had said that to me, I would've punched him, but since I knew how he felt (and feeling was a pretty foreign thing to him), a small part of me melted. I contained my little giddiness like a teenage girl and went to stand by him. I pretended to think of something else, and then something else did actually catch my attention: Jack was bleeding.

I looked at the side of his head and saw small red spot in his scraggly green hair. "Jack, what happened to you?"

He felt his head where I was looking. When he pulled his hand back, it was red. "Well look at that," he said with a curious look.

"Sit down. I'll go get something to clean that." I hurried to the cabinets and fetched some medical supplies. When I returned, he was not sitting as I expected. "Sit down, you need to take it easy." I basically shoved him onto a chair and disinfected and bandaged the wound. I would've asked how he got it, but it he would probably just tell me some story that would scare me to death with all the danger he had put himself in.

What the Hell is happening to me? I vowed to myself that I would never depend on anyone, especially not a man. I can never be emotionally dependent on anyone, and I can never let that dependence control me. The last time I felt something even remotely close to this was with Jonathan Crane, and that ended when he stole my idea of using people's fears against them. Dammit! I've turned into Bella Swan.

At least I could tell that this is all new to Jack too. He was feeling every bit as awkward as I was.

"Is there any chance I can convince you to stay here today?" I asked him.

"Maybe... if you temp me with something you can give me here," he said with a sinful grin.

I chuckled, almost gagged at the seductive thoughts in his head that accompanied his last comment. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Aww, and I thought you were gonna be more fun."

"There are plenty of ways to have fun, like watching serial killer movies!" I said, waiving a few DVD's.

Movie day with the Joker was actually very interesting. Although, we pretty much talked through the whole movies, criticizing the serial killers' work. Watching Jack yell at the TV was quite amusing.

"Mike, why are you _walking_? You're letting her get away!" he said at the original _Halloween_ movie like Michael Meyers was one of his personal friends.

"Out of every weapon you could possibly use, why do you choose an ax?" he asked during _The Shining_.

"I don't know, the ax seems to get the job done as well as any other weapon," I argued, "Maybe you should start using an ax and saying 'Here's Johnny.' Just imagine how scary the Joker would be if he was Jack Nicholson."

During _American Psycho_ , the guy in the movie looked oddly familiar. "Hey, do you feel like you've seen that guy somewhere before? Wait, he kind of looks like that Wayne guy, don't you think?"

He just shrugged.

I peeked out a window and noticed how close to dusk it was getting. Jack then stood up, put on his coat and headed for the door.

"So what's the agenda for tonight, murder, arson, burglary, or all of the above?" I taunted.

"One Hell of a good time. Care to join the party?" he asked.

"No, not this time, but have fun! Try not to get killed." I stood facing him in the doorway. Although he had no supernatural abilities, he was almost as good at reading people as I am, and he knew it. Both of us knew the inner workings of the other, but never expressed it in words.

He brushed off my advice and said, "Wouldn't that be an adventure?" He left the apartment under my illusion of a different, inconspicuous person.

In an act of uncharacteristic spontaneity, I cranked up _The Phantom_ once he was out of earshot. "Anywhere you go, let me go too! Love me, that's all I ask of you," I belted out with a smile.

And I would spend the rest of the evening kickboxing at home, trying to drive out the emotions that were invading my mind.

It was difficult to think. I needed to punch my way back to reason. It was totally illogical that I could ever have feelings for that madman. Yet I was always attracted to fascinating minds. He was a murderer, a criminal, which I sometimes stand against. Yet I hadn't claimed loyalty to either the law or virtue, and I am a murderer too.

It was impractical falling in love with a homicidal, psychotic, deranged clown. Yet I couldn't prevent the little flutter of excitement at the thought of any reciprocated feelings from him. It was probably a pipe dream to even imagine evoking feelings from him. _Falling in love is accepting subjugation. Falling in love is losing your identity,_ I repeated in my mind. I kicked even harder.

Finally, I had worked myself to the point of exhaustion and pools of sweat. I was too tired to stand. I was too tired to think. Yet somehow my train of thought always led back to him.

And that made me smile.

* * *

"Reason and love keep little company together nowadays." _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ by William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene I.

 **Author's Note: So that's the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. The song at the end is "All I Ask of You" from _The Phantom of the Opera_ by Andrew Lloyd Webber. In case you're interested, here's my playlist of other songs for inspiration for this story, besides the ones actually mentioned in the story.**

"Defying Gravity" "No Good Deed" "As Long As You're Mine" and "No One Mourns the Wicked" from _Wicked_ by Stephen Schwartz.

"Last Midnight" from _Into the Woods_ by Stephen Sondheim.

"Arsonist's Lullaby" Hozier

"Bad Reputation" Joan Jett

Pretty much every song by P!nk

And of course, "Joker's Song" Miracle of Sound.


	7. Chapter 7

I watched the afternoon news starring my partner in crime the Joker. They were still playing that video of him questioning the fake Batman, claiming that Batman was had caused this city to lose its mind. I watched him as he announced his next kills, which reminded me that I needed to steal Rachel Dawes's nametag before the memorial for Commissioner Loeb. The city really was getting crazier and crazier by the minute.

I have something to confess: I'm not a city girl. I spent my first eighteen years in a quiet suburban town. The first time I had gone anywhere on my own was when. I went to college. I was lost at first, but learned everything I needed for myself. I don't believe it was one single thing that made me move to Gotham. I knew the city was one of the most crime-ridden in the country- a new and exciting challenge for me. If I could make it here I could make it anywhere. News of the Batman sealed the deal. I admit I was a little excited by the thought of living in the same city as a super vigilante. He seemed to have the goals as me: to rid the world of the scum that walks the streets. However, I quickly realized that he and I were much more different than similar. He was trying to make a public statement by being the Batman; I simply stopped certain crimes here and there. He sought to lock up criminals; I sought to exterminate them, with few obvious exceptions. Jack was right about Batman. He encouraged all the madness in Gotham. He attracted all of us weirdos and helped us become players in the game.

I don't know exactly when or how I came up with my "Iris" persona. I think maybe she's always been in me, and just recently I've just let her surface completely. I've always known I wanted to do something useful with my powers, maybe something good, but I wasn't sure what until Batman. And he had no idea what he'd started. What would we do without Batman?

I walked down to a dark alley, waiting for my rendezvous with Jack. As I waited for him to arrive, I contemplated the possibilities for his feelings for me. Just thinking those words seemed wrong. The Joker doesn't feel, but he does. It's hard to explain.

Perhaps he liked that I was as colorful as he was, like I was a little piece of his world that existed in the real world. He was also impressed by the fact that I was clearly not afraid of him. He reacts to people's fear in a strange way. He wants people to be afraid of him, but he doesn't. I can't really put into words the way he thinks. It would take a lifetime.

My abilities also certainly added an interesting twist to the mix. Not only were they useful to him, but they also presented an element of mystery and curiosity to him. The thought of the endless possibilities with my powers exhilarated him to a high that I could not describe.

Yet he has a similar fascination with Batman, and they are enemies. My best guess as to why I was not his enemy (although that could've changed at any moment), is because I had already "gone over the edge" as he would say. I had already embraced the killer in me. I openly acknowledged it. He probably thinks I'm insane, and he might be right. I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out that one.

But most of all, I think he is attracted to me because I was unpredictable to him. He entertains himself by predicting people's behaviors, knowing that his predictions will be correct. He couldn't do such things with me. For some reason, he found that interesting. Whatever feelings, or attractions there were, the important part was what he was going to do with them.

Just on time, the clown himself strolled in, emerging from the shadows.

"Well look who's ready to have some fun." He gave me one of his unthreatening smiles.

"I presume you've planned out everything in this fun-filled evening." I smiled back.

"Oh no, Dollface, I just play it all by ear."

He took his knife and gently slid it across my hairline, halfway mimicking the motion of scalping someone, halfway caressing. I hardly even noticed my hand sliding up his arm. I soon regretted this little display of affection because then, in walked my ex just in time to see it.

"Oh, I didn't know you liked clowns, Sophie. Or I would've brought you to the circus." The unfortunate thing about Jack rising to power in this city was that no one seemed to notice or care that the Scarecrow had escaped. He was the littler fish to fry.

"Get the Hell away from me, Jonathan," I said curtly and I could almost feel the rage in Jack rising hot and explosive.

"Now it's that kind of attitude that landed where you are."

"Listen, Johnny," Jack stepped up, "I'm a very busy man, and my time is very valuable. So I'd appreciate it if you'd _get out of my sight before I decorate this city with your entrails_."

He brushed off Jack's words and turned to me. "Wow, Sophie, I knew you liked extreme personalities, but I never thought you'd sink as low as this freak."

My eyes shot up. He had barely gotten that last word out before lightning struck at his feet.

"You go ahead; I'll take care of Ichabod Crane here," I said to Jack.

"See ya, Toots," he said. He skipped away into the darkness, but not before sending a little taunting smirk to Jonathan.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill all of you now." I held up my hands, letting the flow of lightning surge out of them. A wiggled my fingers a little and let out a little giggle.

"Water," he said. Then one of his henchmen threw a bucket of water on me.

The effect was immediate and excruciating. The water meeting with the lightning made my muscles go tense and I couldn't move. This episode was brief, however, just as I was beginning to recover from it, another henchman took a broken chair leg and knocked me off my feet with it. I felt the hard pavement scratch against my skin as I fell. Since lightning was out of the question, I defended myself with freezing snow and air, and a few shards of hail, although getting beaten and shocked had left me a bit disoriented so I simply covered the whole surrounding area with hypothermia-inducing temperatures.

Once I was able to stand and the snow had settled, I was surprised to find Jonathan and all his henchmen gone. Instead, I saw a little device on the ground. The blinking green light on it told me that I should probably get out of there fast, but then the device exploded with some kind of gas.

Soon, the gas surrounded me. He wouldn't _dare_ use that fear toxin on me because he knew I could easily make him see whatever horrors I was seeing. So that means the gas could be anything but fear toxin.

I got my answer when I started feeling dizzy. I began to lose my balance, but Jonathan was there to catch me. "Don't pretend you didn't miss this," he whispered in my ear before I was pulled into blackness.

I woke up in a ragged bed in some kind of empty warehouse. _Yeah, real romantic, Johnny_ , I thought. He was standing beside the bed, looking down at me.

"Just like old times," he said in a condescending manner.

I felt the urge to conjure some lightning near the warehouse, but couldn't find the strength to do so. Something felt wrong. I was still trapped in a dreamy state, teetering on the verge of sleep and awareness. I looked around and found the cause: an IV tube was sticking into my wrist. I'm guessing that wasn't a mere saline solution he was letting drip into my veins. This definitely was not like old times.

My eyed begged to be closed again, and I let them. I knew Jonathan wanted to scare me, so I tried to ignore him. I wasn't about to give him what he wanted. And then I felt him strip me of my cloak.

This wasn't really a big deal since I still had my black shirt and gold pants underneath the cloak. He was just trying to intimidate me. But next I felt something cold touching my collarbone. A knife.

Finally, I opened my eyes looked directly at Jonathan. As weak as I was, I was still perfectly capable of using some of my telepathic abilities. It was obvious that this kidnapping me was just his pitiful attempt strike fear in my heart, his little revenge plot. He wanted to make me sorry for leaving him, prove that I wanted him back, blah blah blah. How childish. He was also trying to prove (mostly to himself) that he wasn't afraid of the Joker. He knew damn well that if I wasn't so drugged, I would've destroyed the whole warehouse by now. I sent him a one-word telepathic message: "Coward."

He clenched the knife hard, but I will never know what he would've done with it because there was a loud crash that echoed throughout the warehouse. My ears were filled with the sounds of gunshots and my psychotic partner's maniacal laughter.

I was surprised, relieved, frustrated, and- I can't believe I'm admitting this- afraid. Thank goodness Jack had come for me, but _yuck!_ Jack had come to rescue me. I despised being the damsel in distress, the one who needed a big strong man to save her from her ex man. Oh well, everybody needs help sometimes, like Jack did now. I only feared for him, since he was taking on the Scarecrow and all his henchmen alone.

At Jack's arrival, Jonathan looked at me and said, "Time to sleep." He messed with the IV so there was a heavier flow seeping into my veins. The only thing keeping me awake after that was watching Jonathan take his fear toxin to Jack.

"No thanks!" Jack said, "Do you really think _I need_ your little acid trips?" He took Jonathan's fear toxin device and smashed it in his hands. This allowed me to relax a little more. Jack really was unstoppable. He punched Jonathan to the ground and kicked him with those shoes with the knife inserts, though not enough to be lethal I'm sure. That's when Jack aimed his gun.

"Stop!" I shouted mentally. Jack turned to look at me with a puzzled look. He tilted his head a little and scrunched up his eyebrows.

"He's too interesting to kill," was all I could manage to say.

Jack looked turned back to Jonathan, and beat him unconscious with the gun. I watched Jack come to me and take away the IV tube. He picked me up in his arms.

I don't remember him bringing me home, but I remember him carrying me to bed. My mind was fuzzy and my body completely limp.

Is it bad that I enjoyed it?

I liked being totally relaxed in his arms. I was still a bit angry at myself that I had let Jonathan get the jump on me like that, and how I had needed Jack to save me, but I trusted him. I wanted to fully enjoy this moment, to take in his scent, to feel the surprisingly gentle brush of his skin, gloves, and clothing. The warmth of him lulled me deeper and deeper into a dreamy bliss.

I had the inkling, or hope, that he was feeling something similar.

It seemed so rare that I would find genuine love in people's minds, but I knew it when I saw it. And as I looked into his mind, I knew for certain: Jack Napier loved me.

He put me down on the bed and pulled the blankets over me like a parent would for a child. The last thing in my awareness was the feeling of his lips lightly touching mine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hello, my kind readers. I am very sorry for the prolonged absence. Life gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, I'm back now and will try to update as often as possible. Here's the next chapter. Make of it what you will. Thank you for reading.**

* * *

I woke up early morning the next day, but was still dazed and groggy, so I stayed in bed a little longer until I was feeling better. As I later found out, Crane had sent one of his goons to leave a message for Jack to let him know where he had taken me. It was meant as a trap, but Crane had underestimated Jack's abilities. What a dumbass.

I found a note for me stuck to the bedroom wall by what I recognized as one of Jack's knives. _Party for Commissioner Loeb. When: Today. Where: Follow the sound of bagpipes. It's a costume party so come dressed as a cop. Can't wait to see you there, Toots._ He had drawn a little smiley face at the end of the note.

I pondered the last night's events, mainly that little display of affection he gave me. My guess was that he thought I wouldn't remember his kiss. That actually happened, right? I hadn't imagined it all? He loved me, and he hated me for that. To him, I was a distraction, a guilty pleasure. I was his weakness, something that made him a little more human. We really are a couple of messed up people. We both tried to deny and resist our attraction to each other and became all the more frustrated when we failed. We both tried to reject all hints of emotion. He partially wanted to kill me to be rid of the thing that was making him feel.

There really was only one way to say this: _Twilight_ style.

 _About three things I was absolutely positive._

 _First, Jack was a psychopath._

 _Second, there was a part of him-and I didn't know how potent that part might be- that lusted for my blood._

 _And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him._

The Memorial for the Commissioner went alright, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed that we killed Gordon. I kind of liked him; he reminded me of one of my favorite Harry Potter characters. After Jack had tried to shoot the mayor, I covered him in an illusion to protect him and keep him hidden from police. Although, he probably wouldn't have needed it with all the mayhem around us. Mayhem was where he felt most at-home.

After I made sure that Jack escaped, something else caught my attention. Harvey Dent stole an ambulance with one of our employees. I tracked them by following the telepathic signatures of their minds, like following a trail of sound. I wandered through the dark alleys until I found my target. I saw him standing there, hovering over a man bound to a chair. I saw the gun in his hand and decided that stealth was a necessity. I cast an illusion of invisibility on myself.

Harvey Dent, Gotham's White Knight, look at him now. He was supposed to be the best of humanity, and now he's making death threats to a poor, mentally ill man in in a dark, hidden alley. It's so easy to break ordinary people, to break their morals. Harvey Dent may say that it's all to protect the girl he loves, but in reality, he is just slipping away, giving in to the darkness embedded in him. It was only a matter of time.

I put myself in a position where I could stun Harvey with lightning if need be. After a flip of that stupid coin, he decided not to pull the trigger. Though Mr. Schiff's luck couldn't last forever. Harvey flipped the coin again and-

Oh look, Batman's come to join the fun.

Where the Hell is Jack? He'd have so much fun here.

Either way, I was glad Batman stepped in before we found out the result of the coin toss. Now, it was my turn to step in. After the Bat drifted away like a brooding martyr, I made Harvey see that Mr. Schiff had escaped, and then Harvey went looking around for him. Though, really he was still in that chair. I revealed myself from the illusion.

The poor thing had been kidnapped, dragged to a dark alley, and had a gun pointed to his head. That's enough to make any person terrified. But on top of all that, this man had schizophrenia. I know I've done some pretty cruel things, but terrifying a helpless person with a psychological disorder is not and will never be one of them.

"Hi," I tried a friendly smile. "It's alright, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here to help you."

He eyed me warily. I bent down and released him from the chair. He tried to run, but couldn't go far with that leg injury he had and ended up back in the chair.

"Let me help." He leaned on me for support as I helped him make it to a car which I stole and drove him to the nearest hospital. I removed the police badge and other similar parts of his clothing to deter any suspicion. After I made sure someone came to treat him, I departed to find Jack. He was at my apartment.

When I did, I might not have recognized him if it weren't for his scars and unique telepathic signature. I will forever remember that moment as the first time I saw him without his makeup.

I can't completely describe his appearance. How do you describe perfection? Not even his scars could ruin his face. They only added to the experience of viewing him, like they were the perfect physical manifestation of his most prominent personality traits.

His head was still buzzing with all the excitement and thrill at the mischief he was causing. It was all very entertaining.

"Are you disappointed you didn't kill the mayor?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? That was the most fun I've had in a long time. Did you see the way they all started scrambling once they heard the gunshots? They all ran around without knowing where they were going, like a pack of mice. It was priceless! I wouldn't have missed that for all the gunpowder in Gotham City!" He pranced around, waving his hands in the air with excitement like a schoolgirl raving about her first date.

"Well I'm glad you had fun." I carefully led into my next topic, "Tell me, what happened to our employees after we crashed the ceremony?"

"I don't know they all just scattered. Why do you wanna know?"

"One of them, Thomas Schiff, was taken by Harvey Dent and interrogated. I got him out."

"Whadya do that for?"

"If he had slipped any information, we'd be screwed."

"Don't worry about it. I keep my people in the dark. Dent would've shot him in the face for no reason."

"Jack," oh this is not going to go well, "I didn't want Dent to shoot him in the face."

Jack turned to look at me, just grinned with eyes that could burn holes into me.

"Listen, I know you don't care, but I'd like to have a little more concern for the people who work for us, especially the mentally ill."

"Oh, isn't that wonderful! A little mother hen with all her chicks!"

"Jack, don't."

"Or what? You gonna send me to Arkham? Let me tell you, sweetheart, I've already been there. The place is a Hellhole. I'd get bored out of my mind."

"Jack, I'm not saying you have to care. You don't have to do anything. I'm just saying, let me handle them from now on." I took his arm.

"Fine, have it your way. Fair enough."

"Okay. I can't believe Harvey Dent. Next time I get the chance, I'll cut his throat out."

"Make sure and save me a seat when you do. Maybe I could get some popcorn and drinks."

"You know I'm the curious type. I have to ask: what's this all for?"

"What do you mean?"

"All the tricks and messing with people. Why do you do it?"

"See. That's your problem. Just like everybody else. The point is to not have a reason to do it. Just _do_. One day I might say I'm going to kill everybody who works with Wayne Enterprises, the next day I might decide to rob a bank to donate to Mr. Wayne himself. Don't expect to see any consistency here."

"I see. So, you must have a lot of work to do, with the fun-filled evening ahead."

"Nope. I just got the ball rolling. Now everything's falling ito place on it's own. Now all we have to do is wait, so we do have some time to kill."

And then I remembered something. "How did you know where to find me last night?"

"Oh. The Scarecrow's guys tipped me off. I knew it was a trap, but that guy's a moron and had no idea what he'd got himself into. So, I just took back what's mine."

"You speak as if I'm one of your possessions."

"And?"

"And... don't."

"You think you can make rules for me?" He suddenly said with gritted teeth.

I spoke no reply. I don't know why he was so relentless in trying to scare me away, which was what he was trying to do know. I strung out my silence just a little bit longer to bother him, then said, "Jack Napier, could my imagination be getting a hold of me, or is it possible that you gave a simple display of affection last night?"

He chuckled as if to say I was crazy, but did not deny it. I never took my eyes off him, which only pissed him off more. Suddenly, he aggressively shoved my back against the wall and started digging his lips in to my neck. I tried to pull away, but he squeezed my arms tight. I was sure to have bruises there tomorrow. Then he pulled out a knife and ran it through my hair and down the side of my face. It got caught in my hair and pulled painfully on my scalp.

Finally, I'd had enough and I zapped him with a jolting, but not injuries surge of lightning and forced him to release me. I took the knife from his hand and threw it across the floor, but put my hands gently to his face and kissed him on the cheek as if to say, "My way."

In the next moments, a sort of paradox happened. He still kissed me fiercely, and held me tight, but in a non-violent or angry way. At every moment, I found it hard to catch my breath. His touch was exhilarating, terrifying, and comforting all at the same time. It was strange. Jack was a beast that I had lulled to sleep. I had finally forced him to acknowledge that there was more to him than violence. Yet, I had also seemed to have lit a flame and started a fire that spurred him into action. He never makes sense, but he makes perfect sense. He's just a wonderful, beautiful, mystical, confusing, perplexing, intriguing, aggravating bundle of contradictions. And I love him.

There. I said it.

* * *

 **Another Author's Note: I do not mean to offend anyone who has or knows someone who has any kind of psychological disorder. I mean absolutely no disrespect, so if anyone is offended, please politely let me know and I will do my best to make adjustments to this chapter. Thank you.**


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